Casa Fiore

About Me

17 December 2018

Fiore and brother Mario are featured on the MSN.com travel program “Re:Discover”, which gives an insider’s view of the great cities of America!Check out some of my favorite spots in the Emerald City and beyond in the short video entitled “Family Ties” at:

What a total blast it was to share with YOU Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, my signature dish, on live TV Saturday, November 11th, 2014! "KCTS 9 Cooks: Pasta, Rice, and Grains" was the latest installment of KCTS 9's viewer-led cooking show, and it was so cool to have been a part of it. Check it out via the link above.

This quintessential Southern Italian "soul food" dish is a bold and saucy and pairs perfectly with big Italian red wines. While a majority of my cooking comes directly from home chefs such as Grandma Carm, Grandpa Rossetti, Nana, Pop, Grandma and Grandpa "P" and my dear parents Marianna and Fiore, this fiery concoction is all mine. This dish is the culmination of their method, style and love in the kitchen, as reflected through me. I really don't use exact measurements with this recipe (though I offer you some here), so feel free to follow your whimsy a bit; a little extra red pepper here or a little extra oregano there won't hurt! As always, let me know if I can help you with this in any way! Buon appetito e cent'anni!

1.Chop or mince in a garlic press 6-8 cloves of garlic. Sauté in 1/4 cup olive oil until translucent but not browned in a wide, flat pan.

2.Puree one 28 oz. can of tomatoes.Add to garlic and bring to a simmer over low-med. heat.

For those who do not subscribe to the old-school snail mail version of Casa Fiore, here is the rest of the tasty recipes for plums below.

For those of you suffering from FOMO because you are not receiving your very own copy of the old-school snail mail version of Casa Fiore:

It's all good!

Just send along your address and I will put on the list!

My best, Fiore

pignataro@windermere.com

206.355.1919

From the Gardener and the Chef

Plums 3 Ways!

While I wish I had my own Italian plum tree, thankfully everyone else seems to have one.Thus, a windfall of Italian plums is always a possibility come September. My sister Carmela has one that I plunder from time to time. Of course, fresh plums ripened properly and enjoyed “as is”, as we say in real estate, are tough to beat. For the ones I can’t manage to eat fresh and fully ripened, here are three other ways I have come to enjoy this rite of the fall harvest. No fresh plums on hand? Find some good ones at your local grocer and get busy!

1.Plum Sauce.Or stewed plums if you prefer… however you want to say it, this is a simple preparation:cut plums in half—4-5 cups or so if you can get your hands on them—and dispose of pits.Add 1/4 cup of water and some sugar—roughly 1/4 cup.Sample them as you simmer them down to a chunky sauce over med-low heat.Add more sugar as suits your taste.Awesome alone or over toast, yogurt, or vanilla ice cream.

2.Brandy Soaked.Preserve the summer with… booze!Same as above:halve and pit some plums and fill a quart jar (if available, wide-mouthed).Add 1/8 cup or so of sugar.Add brandy to the top, seal, and shake.Let sit for month—or round up to 40 days and 40 nights if want to go all Old Testament on ‘em—and enjoy all winter long.Got cherries or apricots?Try them as an option.

3.Plum Tart.This one is tasty on Day 1, and even better on Day 2 as the flavors meld a bit. (See link above!)

Fiore N. Pignataro

Visit my web site! Search all homes for sale on the NWMLS, learn more about the selling and buying process, and access financial calculators.Fiore.WithWRE.com

Ciao and Welcome!

My name is Fiore. I thrive on helping people take the next steps forward in life, whether it be as a Realtor or in the kitchen or otherwise. Through this blog, we explore together all the joys of homeownership that I have grown to love since 1993: home cooking, local and simple fun, gardening, home improvement, favorite destinations beyond our front door, and real estate in Seattle.

Client Testimonials

"Fiore did many things that exceeded my expectations. He explained things thoroughly and repeatedly. Fiore was unflappable, resourceful, and very positive throughout. Lucky us!!" Maureen O.

"Fiore kept the process moving along and made suggestions that helped us to secure the house that was right for us. Everything that Fiore did exceeded my expectations because he was always very polite and patient. Fiore is just really nice and helpful. A good agent." Janet A.

“Fiore demonstrated excellent patience and professionalism during our search for a perfect home. He even went the extra mile and drove to our then-residence on the night of snowstorm so we could sign our modified offer, which eventually helped us secure our beautiful house! Fiore continues to maintain contact and offer advice even after we moved into our new home, which further shows his professionalism and integrity. We are thankful for having Fiore as our realtor and will certainly recommend him to future home owners!” Terence Y. and Cindy H.

“It was truly such a pleasure getting to work with you over the past month plus. Thank you for your guidance, patience and amazing client service! We are so happy in our new home!” Jason & Kim F.

"We are the lucky ones, Fiore. Thank you for all you do to make the buying/selling process as stress-free and efficient as possible. You offer great advice and ease our minds every step of the way. To YOU!" Kimberly M.

“As you may have noticed, Marcia and I are crazy about you. A special thanks to you for all of the hard work you have done… I appreciate all your attempts to get it right. You are a true professional.” Linda O. & Marcia G.